The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-26
ABOUT THE LAND SCRIP ACT.

meaning OF an\acI as plalnly WOrded
as the land scNp act passed by the
Congress of 1862 tofaid in the estab-
lishment of agricultural and mechani-
cal colleges. AtSthe recent ::joint
meeting" Of the BOARD of Agricul-
ture and the farmers in Raleigh
when Mr.. s. Ohio Wilson introduced
his resolution to apply the $500
annual interest on the land scrip
fund, now and for several years past
used for the benefit of the Univer-
sity, to the establishment Of an agri-
cultural and mechanical college as
required by the act, DR.. X. P. Battle
opposed it and asserted that it would
be contrary to the law and that no
one who had ever read the act
could find in it anything to justify
such action. We presume that DR.
Battle had read the act, and would
presume also that he understood it,
if by his language he did not convey
the impression that he does not. He
either does not or he misconStrues
language which is so plain that it
does not secm possible that it could
be miscOnstrued.
Let us see: The act appropriates
10000 acres Of public lands for each
representative in Congress from the
respective States that availed them
selves of it's benefits, within five
years from the passage OF the act.
The number of acres to which North
Carolina was entitled was 27O.NO0
This land was valued by the
Government at one dollar and
twenty-five cents per acre: and
should, if honestly disposed of, have
brought 1897, 500. AS it was dis
posed of it brought s135,OOO To
make good this, except $4,000
which was appropriated in some
way, the State Legislature Of 1874
IS passed an act issuing State bonds
to the amount of $125,OOO bearing
6 per cent. interest, which interest,
amounting to $500 annually, the
State University has been receivin"
ever since. But to the act Section
1 provides:
SEC. 4. And be It .turther e,.acted That
all moneys derived from the sale Of the
lands aforesaid by the States to which
the lands are apportioned and from the
sales of the land scrip herinbefore pro
vided for, shall be invested in stocks OF
the United States, or of the States or Of
some other safe stocks yielding not less
than five per centum upon the par valu \
of said stocks; and that the moneys s.
invested shall constitute a perpetual
fund, the capital OF which shall remain
forever undiminished Except so far as
may be provided in fifth section Of this
Act,) and the interest of which shall be
inviolably appropriated by each State
which may take and claim the benefit
of this act, to the endowment, sup
port and maintenance Of at least one CO..
zege, where the leading object shall b.,
vittom e.rcluding other scientific and CLASH
cal studies, and Including military tactics, to
teach such branches Of learning as are related
to agriculture and tie mechanic arts, and in
such manner as the legislatures of the
States may prescribe, in order to pro
mote the liberal and practical education
of the industrial classes in the sever u
pursuits and professions in life.
Sec. 5. and be 1t further enacted, That
the grant of land and land scrip hereby
authorized shall be made on the follow
ing conditions, to which as we'll as to the
provisions hereinbefore contained, the
previous assent of the several States
Shall be signifed by legislative acts:
/. If any portion of the fund invested
as provided by the foregoing section,
or any portion of the interest thereon
shall by any act or contingency be dI-
minished or lost. it shall be replaced bv
the State to which ii belongs, SO that thu
capital of the fund shall remain forever
undiminished and the annual interest
shall be regularly applied without dimu-
milton to the purposes Aaent:oned in the
fourth section of this Act, except that
sum not exceeding ten per centum upon
the amount received by any State under
the provisions of tlsikact may be expend
ed for the payeaus6 Of lands for SITES Of
experimental farms whenever authorized
by the respective legislatures of said
States.
?. No portion of said fund, nor inter
est thereon, shall be applied directly or
indirectly, under any pretense whatever
to the purchase, erection. preservation
or repair of any building or buildings.
g. Any State which may take and
claim the benefit of the provisions of